Joint Development of "Segmented Laser Lighting Device Using Blue VCSEL"

Iwasaki Electric Co., Ltd., in collaboration with Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp. and the Institute of Laser Engineering at Osaka University, has developed a "Segmented Laser Lighting Device using Blue VCSEL."

This development has been underway since fiscal 2023 as part of a project subsidized by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). It was first unveiled in April 2026 at OPIE'26, hosted at the booth of the Visible and Infrared Semiconductor Laser Application Consortium.

VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) is a device that emits laser light perpendicular to the surface of a semiconductor chip. Compared to conventional lasers, it is compact, consumes less power, and can be arranged in large 2D arrays. This technology is already being utilized in a wide range of fields, such as smartphone facial recognition sensors and optical communications.

The developed lighting device adopts a configuration that combines a 2D array of these VCSELs with phosphors. It eliminates the need for the galvano scanner mirrors conventionally required for light direction control, achieving a segmented laser lighting system that performs beam distribution via electrical control.

Key target specifications include a light source output of 4 watts with an efficiency of 20%, and the company is working toward further performance improvements for commercialization. While color temperature depends on the phosphors used, 4,000 to 5,000 Kelvin has been achieved for lighting applications.

The primary intended applications are lighting in factories and parking lots, where it can illuminate only the necessary areas when combined with motion sensors. This is expected to contribute to significant energy savings.

For details, please visit the Iwasaki Electric website.